9/14/2023 0 Comments St rita catholic communityA detached 72-foot-tall bell tower stands outside the building. Brown Avenue), the church is constructed in a Modernist style but incorporates many elements of traditional Catholic church design, including wall mosaics, stained-glass windows, and religious altars. Located on nearby Martindale Avenue (later renamed Dr. To accommodate the growing congregation, a new sanctuary was constructed between 19. Membership at the church also increased during this time. Rita’s School opened the first kindergarten program in the Indianapolis Catholic Diocese. As enrollment increased, a brand-new school building and gymnasium were built on St. A combination of Catholic and non-Catholic students attended the school, which was known for its commitment to academic excellence. Educational services were available to such children at St. The following decade, Father Strange became active in the Indianapolis chapter of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) and helped increase the organization’s membership numbers.Īnother important focus for Father Strange was Indianapolis’ youth, especially those in and around Martindale-Brightwood. In the 1930s, he began fighting for the desegregation of Catholic schools. As a progressive leader, he was committed to civil rights and racial justice. Rita becoming a vital part of Indianapolis’ Black community. Afterward, he served as the church’s pastor from 1947 to 1973.įather Strange was instrumental in St. A white priest from Bramble, Indiana, he worked as St. Bryan, a white priest, led the church from 1919 to 1935. Rita’s opening, 70 families were recorded as members. That same year, a small parish school was established on the church’s campus to serve the city’s Black Catholic children. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis dedicated the building on August 3, 1919. Rita’s original church was the former Knights of Columbus Chapel at Fort Benjamin Harrison, which was dismantled and moved to the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood.
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